She of Shimmering Eyes

[Alistair]

59th of Ymiden, Arc 717

Cervani Shebal, She of Shimmering Eyes. This was to be his Trial of the Hunter, an ultimate test of resourcefulness and skill. Along with him there was supposedly one other, another man of blond hair and notable heroism. The Jeger did not yet know who they spoke of, but as he studied over the creature in the bestiary before him, he kept his face turned towards the door of the meeting hall so that he could stand and properly greet his hunting partner in this endeavor.

'Cervani'... he read, page eighty-six, revealing to him a majestic creature, located particularly in the Northern quarter of Gauthrel. His fingers scrolled over the text, as he consumed information about the creature. Alistair decided that to be a hunter in Gauthrel was to be thorough and methodical -- all hunts should begin with learning about the creature, their strengths and weaknesses. Everything that was known.

Cervani are a race of beast seemingly capable of teleportation on par with a modern Rupturer, the page wrote. Rupturer? He was surprised the Jegers knew anything about his school of magic, let alone the difference between a contemporary and pre-Reyard, otherwise known as inferior, Rupturer.

They possess glowing golden eyes, and can flash blinding light from them to disorient a target before disappearing into nothing. It is said that no one has ever seen a Cervani teleport - to this day, it is unknown how they perform the function, only that they are capable of traversing miles in an instant. Cervani do not merely go invisible in order to escape a threat, as their kind have been trapped before, yet have always escaped their confines. They do not generally fight, but killing them is considered nearly impossible. Jegers are asked to avoid jeopardizing missions by attempting to kill Cervani for their eyes, as it is documented that many Jegers have been led into their deaths in past arcs mindlessly chasing a Cervani's fortune.

Lovely. So the Path chose for him a trial that had resulted in the death of many other Jegers, even those experienced enough to delve into the North. At least they didn't underestimate him.

Already, he was formulating ideas. Their light was blinding . . . they were capable of teleportation . . . they did not typically fight. Where did they teleport to? What was their range of travel? The creatures couldn't possess superior transportation skills to a Rupturer, particularly not one as skilled as him.

The mage doubted it, strongly. The advantage they had must've been the mountainous terrain they lived in - in a flat field of grass, where one could see out for miles, they'd be able to find a Cervani after it escaped, and Alistair could chase it down blink after blink. How could he draw it in, though? How could he resist the blinding? Alistair stroked his brow in frustration.

Ralaith, give me wisdom, he prayed. I have no idea what the flummery fuck to do.

[Aeon]

PH

[Alistair]

He had not even known where to look, and it seemed that his companion in this Hunt had never come. They had both been very ambitious to take on Cervani Shebal as their hunted, and Alistair could only assume that the other man did not truly have the guts nor the temerity to actually challenge her. Though she was not a difficult conquest in terms of blades and claws, very few save a Rupturer could confidently seek to conquer her. Thus, quite expectantly, he was alone on this mission. Despite however long he waited, the other Jeger never came . . . and that was okay.

"I suppose this is my hunt alone," he whispered to himself. Time passed by - so much of it. The sun had already begun to set on this trial of Ymiden, the daylight escaping them. That was, perhaps, even better. She would have a more difficult time seeing him, and he would have a much easier seeing her - with her golden lights and radiant eyes. Of course, regardless, he would need to draw her attention without her directly recognizing him as a predator of Gauthrel. Alistair would need to utilize his meager talents in stealth, as well as his magic in order to create a display capable of drawing the Shimmering One in. Allegedly, she moved quite quickly through the fields of Gauthrel, and had an eye for ethereal beauty as striking as her.

With this in mind, he supposed it would not be difficult to draw her in.

Alistair roamed out into the fields, seeking the flat disquiet of the North, above both Draeslogg and Nirnrad. In the time it had taken him to accept Aeon's abandonment of their task, he had made equal progress roaming upwards, jumping in large bursts through compression portals. A hundred kilometers at a time - from mountain-top to hill-top to mountain-top. Where he could see, he could go to. In some ways, he was like her -- viewing the world around her, choosing her destination, taking the leap. A Cervani was much like a Rupturer . . . fascinated by enchanting things, wandering towards the lights that cast doubt to others, and then fleeing in a moment's notice upon recognition of danger.

But his goal was to make himself inescapable. And so, as he arrived north of Draeslogg into the realm of where the Shimmering One was known to wander, he plunged himself into the center of a quiet field with the ripping thunderclap of a portal. Sohr Khal soared above, disinterested in the Jeger as their prey. The sunset had now become a quiet, starry night, though light was cast outward from the Temple of Thetros upon Draeslogg's peak, like a lighthouse.

Alistair sat quietly there, with his knees pressed into the floor and his spear at his side, waiting. He considered ways to lure her in with his magic -- ways he hadn't tried before. In truth, however, he did not know the method he would need to use. She was a tricky creature to grab, let alone to slay.

[Alistair]

Quietly, he remained, flexing his portals between his hands, creating the small indigo storms between his palms - with bright, flame-like swirls surrounding them. The sounds, and the bright lights, were certainly enough to draw the attention of any other creature -- he had already noticed some of the roaming Khal staring down at the field. They, however, were to retreat to their nests for the trial . . . and did not wish to tempt fate with what was evidently otherworldly sorcery.

Alistair continued creating lights, and utilizing sound. Cervani Shebal was tempted by magnanimous displays alone, and he had little to offer but his magic. Rupturing was second nature to him, and twisting it between his hands in these... playful, puppet-like shows did not bring him any strain or displeasure. His spark was a predator, and craved the hunt. To lure her in with Rupturing brought the spark great satisfaction, and already the images cast by his portals seemed to flare up and intensify, the small blazing vortex becoming something of a light show of sparks, like fireworks.

He continued to lie, though he cast the portal between his palms away, knowing that he could not drain himself too much before she'd come. As he did so, however, something... marvelous occurred. A golden, radiant light appeared before him, of a sort of infinite beauty that could not be altered or replicated. Unlike other Cervani, the one before him had only one face, of golden and blinding eyes - it was like staring into the sun. She had long, white hands and feet, with fingers much like claws. Her fur was golden like a Lion's, and she had wings almost angelic, though two of them had been tattered by something unknown to him. Her entire body was surrounded in a glowing, ether-like energy.

Immediately, Alistair responded to her beauty not with reverence, but predatory bloodlust. He grabbed his spear and, in what seemed like a mere instant, swiped it horizontally before him with blinding speed. The Cervani screamed, her voice much like a bird-crossed-woman, shrieking in anguish. Immediately, in a flash of golden light she disappeared, Alistair lowering his gaze and shutting his eyes as he knew the tactic she would utilize. Standing up, he glanced at the field around him, only to see a golden glow retreating rapidly across the field. He blinked after it, crossing miles in a single step, nearly catching up to the fleeing creature. He blinked again, traversing through space at a hyper-compressed pace, and as he drew out of his second blink he gripped the creature by its golden mane.

This had been... easy. In a battle of pure speed, he had won. The Uthaldrians had struggled to fell her for years, but they had not known his magic. In only two blinks, a Rupturer had the power to slay a legend - and that was exactly what he would do. Plunging his spear forward, he pushed through the interior of the creature, bloodying the length of Shadowsong with the products of her organs. Mucus, blood, and all manner of liquids splayed out and slid along the length of his spear. It was... vile, but rewarding. He gripped the creature's neck with his closed palm, attempting to twist her neck and pull her head from her spine. It proved difficult, but with his tightly clutched grip he managed to kill her.

Or not.

In his vision, she laid beaten and slain on the floor - but not in truth. Alistair writhed circularly among the grass, flailing his spear forward to the vision before him. The plants seen into the soil had brought on deep hallucination.

A Cervani. Something else. A specter. A shadow.

It didn't matter. None of it was real. When the two colliding worlds that were his specters of vision met, he found nothing but spear-carved soil, and a Sohr Khal hovering above. Nothing, and no success, had been found.

[Aegis]

Your Thread Review is Here!

Shame to see a thread abandoned before it even began. Well done tracking a phantom. Entertaining to see him writing in the toxic plants.

Alistair

Pre Review Checklist

Requirement	✓ or X	Comment
Approved Character	✓	--
Updated Thread List for Previous Season	✓	--
Updated Skill Point Ledger (Raw, Adjusted, Thread Earned)	✓✓✓	--
Updated Purse (Seasonal Expense, Wage, Thread deductions)	✓✓	--
Updated Renown Ledger & Table for threads	✓✓	--

Review

Requirement	Fulfillment	Comment+
Solo or Collab	Solo	+6 skill knowledge
How many posts?	3	+0 skill knowledge
How many requested?	5	1 Skill Knowledge not claimed
Are all posts greater than 250 words?	✓	483 505 651
Is the thread greater than 1500 words?	✓	--
Knowledges appropriate?	✓	--
Loot appropriate?	N/A	--
Renown appropriate?	N/A	--
Injuries appropriate?	N/A	--

Below is your well deserved loot. If you have any questions, please PM me. Also please add the provided stamp to your review request found here and please update your CS with all of this information.

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      [center][img]/gallery/image.php?album_id=39&image_id=12064[/img][/center]

Loot

Reward	Amount	Comment
Skill Points	+10	--
Magic Points available?	No	--
Renown	N/A	--
Injuries	N/A	--

Knowledges
Skill Knowledge:

1. Hunting: Using darkness against your prey
2. Hunting: Drawing the attention of prey with lights
3. Hunting: Luring in a foe, then outmaneuvering them
4. Hunting: Watch where you sit
5. Resistance: Nature is filled with natural intoxicants

Non-Skill Knowledge: